By: Lynn Bulloch

A fire caused a lot of commotion at a 30-unit building at 227 Notre Dame this early morning.
Greater Sudbury Fire reports that the blaze broke out just before 5, and caused a lot of smoke.
2 people inside one of the units were rescued by firefighters and sent to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The cause was careless smoking. Damage is estimated at 5-thousand dollars.

By: Lynn Bulloch

Greater Sudbury Police are investigating a fire that destroyed a house that was under construction on Bodson Drive in the Valley. Firefighters arrived at the scene just before 6 p.m. on Saturday. When they got there, the entire structure was ablaze. The house was not occupied. Damage is estimated at between $50,000 and $100,000. Police are asking anyone with information to call them, or Crimestoppers at 222-TIPS.

By Stew Kernan

Operations at Vale’s Frood Mine site are being suspended at the end of this year.

The closing is for the Frood section of the Stobie Mine only.

An e-mail from the company states the move is because of current market volatility, declining metal prices and falling demand for the product.

Vale’s Manger of Corporate Affairs Angie Robson says the price of nickel has dropped 17-percent this year and 30-percent since 2011.

Robson says it’s not a workforce issue, but rather a business decision.

There will be no job losses…the 85 workers at Frood will be re-assigned to other operations with all commitments under the collective agreement honoured.

Robson says the Frood site has been mined for over 100 years, but the ore now has low value and declining grades meaning the company was mining at a loss.

By Angela Gemmill

A collision slowed traffic on Lasalle Boulevard across from the Metro grocery store just before 10am this morning.

According to witnesses, the female driver was attempting to turn left into the Metro parking lot, when she made a last minute decision to go straight.

The vehicle sideswiped another car, struck a pole in the median and slipped onto its roof on the south sidewalk.

Greater Sudbury Police are on scene directing traffic.

It appears no one was hurt in the collision.

By Matt Harris
Greater Sudbury Police have laid impaired driving charges on a local woman after an incident Sunday morning.

Just after 8:00 am police got a call about an erratic driver heading south on MR 80 in Val Caron.

Police later found the vehicle with a flat tire on Attlee Street in Sudbury.

28 year old Angie Portelance is charged with impaired driving and had her car impounded for one week, as well as a 90 day licence suspension.

By Matt Harris
The sudden resignation of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuiny came as a shock to Sudbury’s City Coucil.

After this week’s council meeting Mayor Marianne Matichuk praised the work of the Premier, and says the city still needs to focus on getting government funding for a variety of projects.

Matichuk says she expects Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci to continue to be a strong advocate of the city at Queens Park.

The Premier announced his sudden resignation on Monday in the midst of scandals and battles with public unions.

​By Matt Harris

A third arrest has been made in connection to a fraud case at Atlas Copco.

67 year old Paul Carron was arrested in Sherbrooke Quebec and will appear in Sudbury bail court on Friday.

Caron is one of three men arrested in a joint investigation between the RCMP and Greater Sudbury Police.

It’s alleged top company executives conspired with the health care provider to make false claims.

Police say the fraud is as high as $16 million.

By Matt Harris

Sudbury City Council finally agreed to hold meetings to re-evaluate its master plan.

The call for the meeting was made a few weeks ago by Councillor Josclyne Landry-Altmann, who said council needed to re-focus moving forward into the second half of their term.

Council will dedicate a meeting to reviewing the master plan while focusing on education and team-building.

Landry-Altman sand other Councillors are concerned about negativity around the council table.

Mayor Marianne Matichuk says it was important the meeting be open to the public.

That comes after the very public scrutiny from the Ontario Ombudsman on a series of closed door meetings last fall at Tom Davies Square.

By Angela Gemmill

Science North has made a few changes to its volunteer program, including setting up a special website.

The tourist attraction and science centre already has 200 skilled volunteers who give their free time to provide tours, take pictures or fix small maintenance items.

Science North is looking for more volunteers.

It now has inclusive positions for some older adults or teens who want to be community ambassadors or encourage learning through science.

The new website provides information about the volunteer program, lists available positions and gives testimonials from current volunteers.

www.sciencenorth.ca/volunteers

By Stew Kernan

The OPP now have an eye in the sky to help patrol a section of Highway 17 east of Sudbury.

Aircraft enforcement has begun between Markstay and Hagar.

Police will be looking for those drivers speeding, following too close, passing a stopped school bus as well as stop sign offenses.

An observer in the aircraft will relay specific vehicle and offense information to an officer on the ground.

Then the vehicle will be stopped, the driver will be identified and then charged with the offense.